Just where is home?
by aka-ume
Summary: Home is not sometthing determined by fate, it's something we have to choose by ourselves. Two little kids running away from home. They didn't know what were waiting for them deep in the darkness. However, they had no way back; they had got to go on, deeper into the darkness. Because only by going through the darkness would they see the light
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers:** I do not own Vampire Knight or any of its characters.

**A/N: **AU. All the characters in this story are human beings.

**Chapter 1: Two little runaways**

It was already past midnight. There were no moon nor star light, as the clouds had covered the whole sky. If it had not been for the dull light emitted from the streetlamps, one wouldn't have seen anything. Snowflakes were silently drifting down from the sky, covering everything in their dazzling white. They made the road slippery and very unpleasant to walk on.

On the empty street, there were two children trudging wearily through the thick snow, their fingers entwined as their hands clasped together, trying to retain the warmth. At this time of the night, it must be strange to see kids wandering around, let alone two frightened-looking ones. The two were walking relatively fast and the boy kept looking back over his shoulders, as if someone were chasing after them. Though the boy was carrying two heavy bags, one on his back, the other clutched in his hand, he seemed not to have so much trouble in walking like the little girl beside him. She was stumbling on her tiny feet, panting heavily as she struggled to keep pace with the boy's hurried strides. She wanted to tell her companion to slow down, but his eyes were staring to the distance and he seemed to be deep in thoughts, so she kept quiet and tried to follow him. Nonetheless, the speed he was walking at was too unbearable for her, and she felt her breath getting sharper and sharper.

"Kaname… slow down…" She said under her breath, desperately clutching the boy's hand.

Kaname seemed bewildered being snapped out of his thoughts. He slowed down and gave the girl a warm smile only she could ever see:

"I'm sorry, Yuuki. Do you want to stop now for some rest? You must be very tired by now."

"No… I don't want to stop until we can get there." Yuuki said, returning her brother's smile to reassure him that she was fine, but Kaname saw it through. Apparently she was tired, and worse, scared that her step father, he might be pursuing them. And that was what Kaname was afraid too.

Staring at their shadows, Kaname realized how small they were, two little kids clinging to each other, struggling against life. And there was no one, not even a kind soul was there to help them. Kaname took a quick glimpse at the houses on the sides, feeling anger building up inside him. How could everyone be sleeping so peacefully, so serenely while there were two kids right in front of their house, homeless and frightened and exhausted?

Looking down at his sister, his anger gradually faded, replaced by guilt. When they had stormed out of their house, Kaname was absolutely certain that they could no longer be there, that the only way to save Yuuki was run away. Nevertheless, after several hours of walking wearily in the snow, feeling more lost and lonely than ever, his certainty had much drained. He started to wonder whether the man they were running to would open his arms and happily accept two children suddenly knocking at his house, or he would shut the door in front of their faces and tell them to get lost. Kaname could then come back home; he was used to his father's meanness, but he could not let Yuuki do the same. She was too innocent, too fragile.

All of a sudden, Kaname heard loud steps sounding from behind their backs. Swiftly, he turned around, eyes widened in shock when a tall man came in sight. Under Kaname's intense gaze, the man still seemed composed; a devilish smirk played on his lips:

"Kids… Are you lost? May I help you find your parents?"

Before Kaname even noticed, a deafening scream was let out of his throat. Gripping his sister's hand, Kaname frantically dashed forward. A hand grabbed his shoulders; he broke free. An annoyed growl was heard, a painful kick in the back and Kaname fell down on the icy ground.

"That would teach you some manners, you little brat." Satisfied, the man said, his smirk grew wider.

However, his pleasure did not last long. Upon seeing her brother defeated, anger quickly boiled up in Yuuki's eyes. She quickly turned around, lunging herself forward with an angry scream:

"No! Yuuki won't let anyone hit nii-san!"

Tiny fists thumped at the man, which seemed not to cause him much pain. He looked startled at first then helplessly burst out laughing:

"Oh my, that's really scary. What else have you-Arghh!"

Annoyed by his words, Yuuki grabbed his hand in her small ones then bit hard into it. Crying out, the man shook his arms violently, throwing the girl to the ground.

No words could ever be enough to describe the feelings that were burning inside Kaname right at that moment. Without actually knowing what he was doing, he launched forwards, pummeled at full force at the man's stomach. While he was still groaning in pain, Kaname took the time to quickly grab his sister's hand, running as fast as he could away from danger.

"Is he chasing after us?" After having run for a while, Yuuki nervously asked her brother, too scared to turn around.

"No… I hope he's given up." Kaname said with much uncertainty. Looking at Yuuki, he noticed she was panting heavily, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. They had been walking for hours; it must be exceptionally harsh to a five-year-old girl.

"Take a break now, Yuuki."

"But I can still continue…"

"I know." Kaname smiled slyly at his stubborn little sister, knowing she would have to submit to his explanation. "But I really need some rest."

Yuuki frowned in irritation. She noticed Kaname was still breathing quite normally and did not seem to be really exhausted. Her mouth opened as if she was going to protest, but finally she gave up and followed Kaname to sit on the threshold of a house nearby. Kaname dropped his bag down, from which he pulled out a loaf of bread, holding it out for the small girl.

"You barely ate anything at dinner, did you? Take a bite, or else you won't even be able to stand on your feet."

Her big brown eyes lifted to meet his as tears were welling up in them. The painful memories she had been trying to suppress were rushing back.

_There was a nauseating smell of alcohol in the air._

_A hand reaching out for her. It was clammy and trembling._

_A slurred voice rang in her ears as he kept calling someone else's name as if it had been hers._

_But what she feared most was his eyes, his unseeing eyes that were filled with something the little girl could not easily comprehend…_

Yuuki shook her head; she deliberately averted her gaze from his, and took the bread.

Looking at his poor sister, a tender feeling suddenly came flooding over Kaname. He pulled her in a tight embrace, his voice trembling uncontrollably as he whimpered:

"I'm sorry… Yuuki…"

Choking up, Kaname slowly closed his eyes, pulling Yuuki closer to him. He still could not believe that once again, he was not able to protect her. Once again, all he could ever do was watch her suffering. The boy was now horribly aware that he was just a small helpless child and they were powerful adults. It was obvious the winner would never be him.

"I'm alright, Kaname… You did your best to protect me. So please, don't say sorry to me." Yuuki said, her hand patting his back soothingly. The girl gently pulled Kaname's head to her chest, right over her beating heart. A weak smile flickered across her face.

"Did you hear that? I'm still here, safe and sound."

_Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump._

It felt so soothing listening to her heartbeats.

"Don't worry about me; you should worry more about yourself instead," said Yuuki, a touch of sadness evident in her voice. She pulled away a bit to have a better look at her brother, hands cupping his face. There were several scratches on it due to the struggle earlier. "Does it hurt much, Kaname-niisan?"

"No, not at all…" he murmured, savoring the comforting warmth he always felt when his sister was around. Why was it that every time he tried to save Yuuki, eventually he would be the one who was saved?

'It has always been the case, from the first time I met you…'

"_You once had a brother, right?" Kaname asked feeling sadness welled up inside his chest. He absent-mindedly played with a strand of Yuuki's hair, twirling it between his fingers._

"_Yeah… Mummy said Yuuki used to have a brother, but he doesn't stay with us any more. She said he came to heaven before Yuuki was even born. Heaven is a very happy place isn't it?" asked Yuuki._

_The innocent question caught Kaname by surprise. His eyes widened, and then adverted from her face. He could not stand looking into those innocent eyes; tears were brimming in his eyes. His hand froze, letting her hair slip through his finger tips._

"_Yeah… I heard so."_

"_Isn't that great? Then brother and Daddy can get together and be really happy there. Yuuki wants to be there too." A radiant smile lit up her face; genuine delight sparkled in her eyes._

_Kaname stayed quiet. He pulled Yuuki closer to him; his arms drew her in a tight embrace. _

"_Don't you feel lonely when they left you…?"_

_Yuuki seemed startled by his thought. Her head dropped slightly when she said:_

"_Yuuki did… sometimes. But now Yuuki doesn't feel lonely any more. You know why?"_

"_Why?"_

_The toothless smile once again spread over the little girl's face as she spoke, her breath felt warm against his chest:_

"_Because now Yuuki has a new Daddy and a new brother, too! And Yuuki loves Kaname-niisan so much~! Yuuki hasn't seen Daddy much, but Yuuki will sure love him too!"_

_Having heard his words, Kaname remained silent. His arms tightened almost painfully around Yuuki, making she gasp softly._

Kaname put his hands on Yuuki's, gripping them as tight as he could; strong determination revealed in his eyes. All his wounds, all his pains did not mean a thing if he could possibly protect his beloved sister.

"From now on, I will always stay by your side no matter what. And next time, I definitely won't let anyone hurt you. I promise."

Yuuki shyly smiled breaking away from Kaname, her hands dropping to her sides.

"Thank you, Kaname-niisan. Now let's get going! It must be very late by now."

Standing up, Kaname took her hands in his. He still did not know what was awaiting for them in the deep darkness. Nonetheless, there was one thing he knew for sure. He would be his little sister's shelter, keeping her away from all the cruelty of the world. Because he was her brother. And the only one the little girl could be dependant on right now.

**A/N:** I already have a few more ideas that may be about 4 or 5 chapters long planned neatly in my mind, but I'm still unsure about writing more. So what do you think? Is it worth continuing or should I just leave it as a one-shot?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Many thanks to all the kind souls who spent their precious time reviewing this story! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your feedbacks!

To Block Out The No (I couldn't find your pen-name): If you're reading this, I'm truly sorry I can't use your suggestion. In fact, I'm not even sure if Zero will ever show up, since I think every one's probably grown tired of the main love triangle by now. But trust me, I know what I'm writing and I have ideas for another love triangle to appear in my story. I wrote Kaname and Yuuki being so young for a reason.

And fear not, I'll try my best to light up the whole story. It's just that I really, really love writing angst XD

**Chapter 2: Unwanted**

"Are you sure you got the address right?" Kaname asked.

The two children were standing in front of a small house. The house stood a short distance from the woods, the light fragrance of rose from its front garden filling the air. Kaname silently observed the house, how all the curtains were closed and all the rooms were swallowed by darkness. He wondered if there was anyone on this whole planet who could warmly welcome two runaway children knocking at his door at midnight. He had to admit that if it happened to him, he would never do so.

"I'm sure as can be! This must be Cross's house," Yuuki answered indignantly, her eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "Don't you trust me?"

"How can't I? Come on, let's press the doorbell." Kaname managed a weak smile, envying his sister being lighthearted while he was all so nervous.

'Yeah… That's what I want from you, Yuuki. To be who you really are, free from all the troubles and meanness of the world.'

The bell rang once. No one showed up.

'Maybe he was just sleeping. He couldn't be out at this hour, could he?'

Kaname pressed it again, then again. Still no one.

When his hope had nearly disappeared, a light was switched on in the second floor. A few minutes later, the door creaked open and a woman turned up.

"Who are you? What on earth are you doing at this hour?"

"Pardon me for interrupting your sleep, ma'am, but we're looking for someone. Could you please tell me if this is the residence of Cross Kaien?" Kaname asked.

"For goodness's sake, no! He moved a long time ago, about 4 years or more. Why didn't you know this?"

Kaname felt his heart sink; when he finally spoke, his voice turned breathless.

"Do you know where he is now?"

"I heard he's living in his father's old house in the Cross Academy. It's not so far from here, just go straight ahead and turn right at the end of the road."

Kaname let out an audible sigh of relief. The journey was still long ahead. Both Yuuki and he were dispirited at the information, but at least they had an idea of where they were heading to.

When Kaname was still pondering, the door creaked open behind the woman's back, and out came a man.

"What're you doing out here? Come on in," he said.

"I'll be right back. The children here were just asking me about the address. Just go inside and wait for me," the woman-probably his wife-answered.

"Kids… in the middle of the night? You little brats got into mischief, got scolded then ran away, huh? You're all the same."

"Don't say it, Takashi; there must've been a reason-"

"You don't think we've got enough troubles already? Just kick 'em out. They should never have been here in the first place. Go away, kids," said Takashi, his voice flat and cold.

'Someone… anyone, please… make him take it back.'

"_Urgh…"_

_Slapped across the face, Kaname fell down, his cheek throbbing painfully. The whole world seemed to quake violently before his dazed eyes; Kaname felt dizzy. He could taste the saltiness of his own blood; he must have bitten at his tongue._

"_Do you like it, Kaname?" His father asked, a smirk playing on his lips._

_Kaname did not answer; he stared straight into his father's mismatched eyes, defiant._

"_You spoiled brat, how dare you look at your father that way?" His father said, and there came another slap, this time much harder._

_Rising to his feet, Kaname dashed forward in a desperate attempt to escape. Nevertheless, his father saw it through. He grabbed Kaname's arm, and with one hand, easily pinned him down on the ground._

"_Rido…!" Kaname growled angrily. He writhed in pain, but that only made his father's grasp tighten. He was still struggling when his hand touched something solid. He grabbed it, and before he had enough time to realize what he was doing, he swung his arm, drawing blood on Rido's face._

_For a few seconds, silence reigned. Neither of them moved._

_Then Rido's grip seized around his son's arm. Rido lifted Kaname up without any troubles, letting their eyes be at the same level. _

"_You always disgust me, Kaname," he said, his eyes narrowed as he wiped the blood away. "Do you understand that? You disgust your very own parents. I despise you, your mother despises you. I think even you despise yourself."_

"Kaname-niisan…"

_With one hand, Rido hurled the boy to the wall. The way one would toss garbage._

_Rido's face lit up in cruel satisfaction; he said each word slowly, enjoying the impact they caused to the boy._

"_You should never have been here in the first placem Kaname. No one loves you, no one needs you; no one ever wants you in their lives!"_

"Kaname-niisan…!"

Kaname blinked. Before him, Yuuki was staring at him with concern. Her fingers seized around his.

"What's wrong?" Yuuki asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright," said Kaname. Was he? He had no idea.

Kaname then turned to the woman who was also staring at him with worried eyes.

"Thank you for your direction ma'am. We're leaving now," Kaname said.

Before the boy turned away, the woman had seen an emotion flickered in his eyes. 'Was that… sadness?'

"Hang on-kids!"

Startled, Kaname turned around. Looking at his weary eyes, the woman felt sadness building up inside her chest. Those eyes, those innocent brown eyes reminded her of her own son who was sleeping peacefully in his bed at that moment. Therefore, she felt obliged to do something to turn up the dull light in his eyes, to help the child get through the darkest hours of his life.

"You know, it's already late now. Why don't you two stay here for the night?" The woman said.

In a split of a second, something close to a faint smile crossed Kaname's lips.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but we really can accept it." Kaname shot a quick glance to Takashi before turning to his sister. "Let's go, Yuuki."

For a long while, the woman just watched the two children, sorrow filling her heart. She silently observing the way they clung together, the way their tiny figure melted away in the dark.

'I wish you two best of luck, you poor children. I hope in the end, you will be able to find your home.'


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **So sorry about the long delay! I really hope you may enjoy this chapter, after so much effort I've put in it. Fluff is very, very hard to write, way harder than angst. So I do apologize in advance if anyone doesn't find the chapter funny XD

**Chapter 3: Where others were**

Kaname's strides slowed to a halt as he looked up with confusion. He was sure they had got to the exact address they were told, but maybe they were unlucky again. Maybe Cross had moved.

"This is where he lives? In a school?" Yuuki asked as she stared at the tall buildings behind the metal railings. "Mummy told me Cross was a policeman," she said with a frown.

"I don't know," said Kaname, "Maybe we should ask someone-"

Kaname dropped his words as he heard laughter from afar. The hearty, childlike laughter somehow filled his heart with genuine tenderness. They were not alone. Other children were also there with them.

"What're you waiting for? Let's go!" Yuuki said with a cheerful smile, her hand pulling Kaname's to dash to the first sign of joy they heard that night. To where others were.

There were four kids behind the railings. Two boys were chasing while the others, a boy and a girl, were watching them from afar. A boy was holding a teddy bear in his arms while running and laughing helplessly at the smaller boy chasing after him.

"Come on, Hanabusa! That's the best you can do? Come and get me," he said, waving the toy in his hand playfully.

Hanabusa screamed back breathlessly:

"Just wait till I catch you! Hey Luca, Akatsuki," he turned to the other children, "Don't just sit there staring like that! Help me!"

The two mentioned children just stared at him, unmotivated to help their poor cousin.

"Hm… let me see… Why do I have to help the idiot who woke me up in the middle of the night 'cauce someone took his teddy bear? And how come a seven-year-old can't sleep without his… Kuma-chan, no?" Luca replied with sarcasm, delight shining in her blue eyes.

"Shut up, dumb Luca! Wah, Akatsuki! Come and help me out! I knew you wouldn't abandon me like a certain somebody there!" Hanabusa cried in delight, grateful to see the boy suddenly stand up.

"Don't help him, Akatsuki! I'm enjoying the scene! Don't you want to see that idiot suffer?" Luca said with a devilish grin.

"What?" Hanabusa shouted at her indignantly.

"Hm? Why do I have to help him?" Akatsuki said, gazing at the girl, "I want to go back to sleep. Hanabusa's just being stupid as he always is. This is boring."

He gave a huge yawn before turning away, waving goodbye to his cousin.

"Goodnight, Luca, Hanabusa, and the dorm president, too. Oh and good luck getting back your teddy back, Hanabusa."

"Stop, Akatsuki! Help!" Hanabusa cried out.

"Bye, Akatsuki. See you tomorrow… or to be more exact, later today!" The other boy beamed.

Panting heavily, Hanabusa stopped chasing as he murmured furiously under his breath:

"Stupid… Akatsuki…"

"Hm? Already given up?" The taller boy asked with a bored expression on his face. "Akatsuki's right. This is indeed boring."

Akatsuki stopped short and sighed, staring at the boys. The dorm president's bad habit was irritating. He did not have a good feeling about what that boy might do next to his cousin.

"So you're gonna give my Kuma-chan back, Takuma?" Hanabusa asked hopefully.

"Hm? Did I say that?" The dorm president, Takuma asked innocently.

Confused, Hanabusa nodded vigorously.

"You got me wrong then. I will of course return your… what you call it… Kuma-chan? But I will do that only if you can proof that you're worth it," said Takuma.

Akatsuki wore an I-knew-it expression when Luca giggled helplessly, looking at poor Hanabusa staring at Takuma with his mouth fell open.

Takuma lifted the teddy up, arm stretching out. His usual grin spread over his face.

"Take Kuma-chan from me now."

"What?" Bewildered, Hanabusa screamed, staring at his beloved teddy above his head. "But you're much taller than me!"

"It doesn't matter. A man's height can only be measured by his courage. Be brave like a real man and you can be taller than I am." Takuma said, trying to suppress another smile at seeing the confused Hanabusa.

"You… Takuma!" Having finally realized he was played around, Hanbusa dashed forward to the other boy. "Give back my Kuma-chan!"

"W-wait!" Takuma exclaimed. However, it was too late. The boys fell on the ground, and Kuma-chan slipped out of Takuma's hand.

"No!" Hanabusa shouted wildly. He tried to grab his teddy, but miserably failed. All he could do was watch his beloved Kuma-chan soar above the railings before fading into the dark.

"No!" Hanabusa shot up, but was stopped by his cousin.

"You've been talking too loudly; the teacher will be here in any minute. We must leave now," said Akatsuki.

"No! I won't go without my Kuma-chan!" Hanabusa replied, breaking away from his cousin. "I must find him."

All the while, Kaname and Yuuki were just watching from afar, admiring the fun those children had. Nonetheless…

"Kaname-niisan?" Yuuki called.

"What?" Kaname said, looking down at his little sister.

"Can we help him? Kuma-chan seemed to be very important to that boy." Yuuki's eyes shyly met his, pleadingly.

Standing up, Takuma flicked off dirt on his clothes. He felt kind of sorry for pushing things too far. He had not expected that Hanabusa treasured the toy that much.

"Don't make such a fuss about nothing, Hanabusa. I'll go get your teddy in the morning."

"No-"

"Excuse me… Are you looking for this?" From behind the railings, Kaname said, handing out the teddy. Yuuki shyly hid behind her brother, curious eyes staring at the other children.

"Kuma-chan!" Seeing his beloved teddy bear, Hanabusa dashed forward. "You're alright!"

The three other kids turned around in surprise. Luca visibly blushed as her eyes met Kaname's, while Akatsuki was just staring blankly at the strangers.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Only when Hanabusa had taken back his Kuma-chan did he realized the sudden appearance of Kaname and Yuuki.

"Right…Who are you two?" He asked in bewilderment.

"I'm Kaname and here's my sister, Yuuki. You see, we were looking for-"

Takuma eagerly hastened forward, cutting short Kaname's words.

"Nice to meet you both! I'm Takuma, he's Akatsuki and the girl here is Luca. We were-"

"Takuma! You forgot me!" Hanabusa said.

"Ah ha ha, I'm sorry. Here's Hanabusa, Akatsuki's cousin. Is this just me or that name is actually as idiotic as its owner, I wonder?"

"It's true, Takuma. Both the person and the name are stupid," stated Akatsuki with the same bored expression he always had.

"You..!" Hanabusa yelled.

"Okay, enough messing around. Back to the subject, what're you two doing here, may I ask?" Takuma asked Kaname, completely ignored Hanabusa.

"We're looking for someone. Do any of you happen to know Cross Kaien?" Kaname said. He could feel Yuuki's hands squeezed his. Kaname turned to her with a reassuring smile, though he himself felt anxious too. It all would be alright.

"No, never heard of," was Akatsuki immediate answer.

"Wait, Akatsuki. This does sound familiar. Maybe I met this guy somewhere." Takuma said, a dreamy look on his face.

"You idiots! You don't even remember your principal's name? What's our school?" Hanabusa said triumphantly.

Takuma looked at the boy in bewilderment.

"It's Cross Academy-Ah!" He then turned to Kaname.

"Sorry, Kaname, my mistake. Just follow the railings and you will find the principal's house. We would love to take you there, but it's late now and the teachers might be looking for us so… Bye!" He said cheerfully.

"Thank you. Good bye." Kaname and Yuuki both said before turning away.

"Bye." Akatsuki and Luca said at the same time.

"Ah…" Watching the two children leaving, Luca sighed dreamily, "Doesn't Kaname adorable?"

"That guy?" Irritated Hanabusa exclaimed. "How can you possibly find him adorable? I hate him!"

"And how can you talk about the one who saved your stupid teddy like that?" Luca said angrily. "You aren't a bit adorable like him!"

"Even though he saved Kuma-chan, I still hate him!" Hanabusa said, clutching his bear closer. "This is enough. I'm dead tired now. Let's go to sleep."

Kaname and Yuuki stood in front of Cross's house. The boy wanted to step up and press the doorbell, but something made him hesitate. Would their long journey finally come to an end?

"Don't worry. Everything's gonna be just fine." Yuuki said, having notice his hesitancy.

Everything would be alright. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Kaname stepped up to press the bell. He did not even notice he held his breath.

No one showed up.

Knowing it would take longer to wake people at that time of the day; Kaname patiently waited a while longer before pressing the bell again.

'He will appear soon. He will definitely appear soon."

However, it seemed Cross was not there. No matter how long the two kids waited, no one came out.

"No!" Kaname screamed wildly, lunging for the door. "Please Cross, come and help us!"

"Kaname… It's alright. Let's go back home." Terrified, Yuuki pleaded him.

'But we've got no home, Yuuki.'

"Abandon me if you want to but please save Yuuki! Please!" Kaname desperately burst out.

Nonetheless, he knew.

No one would help them. No one would shield them from the meanness of the world. No one.

Kaname fell to his knees, his face buried in the cold snow; his hand gripped the door. Waves of emotions overwhelmed him. And that was when he lost his consciousness. Drifting to an imaginary world of his own, he did not even realize he had fallen asleep.

'Someone… please save Yuuki.'


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** As promised, here's the next chapter! I'm so sorry for the long delay. Happy new year everyone!

**Chapter 4: It's alright now**

Ten minutes later, a man appeared. He yawned wearily, tired from putting his naughty children to bed. He was walking on the garden path to his house when he noticed something strange. Two children were lying on the threshold of his house, sleeping peacefully. Surprised, he leaned down to look at them closely. The girl looked quite familiar to him; her long chestnut hair reminded him of someone he knew a long time ago.

He brushed a strand of hair off her face and realization finally hit him. He knew that girl. With a slight smile, he lifted the girl up gently so as not to wake her.

It had been a long time since the last time they met.

A sudden sound of something broken woke Kaname up. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the ceiling tall above him. The dark sky was no longer there. He was lying on something so warm and soft. A couch? He thought he fell asleep on the snow. He was inside… a house?

"Yuuki…!" Kaname exclaimed as he sat up, his hand shooting out as if to grab something invisible there. Kaname looked around; his little sister was out of his sight. Where was she?

"It's still early in the morning. You'd better go back to sleep."

A light-haired man said as he appeared from the kitchen. He was holding a cup of hot chocolate; Kaname noticed one of his fingers was wrapped in a bandage.

"Ah…This?" Having noticed Kaname's stare, he laughed. "Just my clumsiness. I'm sorry, since my cup for guests was broken, you can have this instead."

Kaname took the cup from his hand. There was a little kitten drawn on it. With big brown eyes, the kittens gazed at Kaname innocently. He thought it was weird that cats actually wore bows.

"Cute, isn't it?" The man said with a curious look at the boy, expecting him to say something. Kaname did not answer him.

"Where's Yuuki?" Kaname blurted out.

"She's upstairs. More importantly, I need to know-"

Before the man could finish his words, Kaname was no longer there. Smiling mysteriously, the man followed him upstairs.

Yuuki was lying peacefully on the bed, a soft blanket draping over her. Kaname deliberately walked towards his sister, his eyes stared at her unseeingly. He took her hand in his. It was burning.

"It's just a cold. Don't worry; she'll recover in no time. Now can we go downstairs to have a talk?" The man asked silently.

Kaname was just staring into the empty space for a while. The man watched him worriedly, waiting for him to speak. After a full minute of silence, the boy finally managed to utter.

"Okay," he said.

"Take your time. I'll be waiting down there," the man said as he turned around to leave the room.

Kaname stood quietly by Yuuki's bed. His hand slowly caressed her cheeks; then he leaned down to lay a brief kiss on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki. If only I had remembered to bring more warm clothes… I'm sorry…" He murmured. Everything had gone so wrong; despite all his effort not to, he kept messing the whole things up. He promised to protect her, but what had he done so far?

Kaname straightened up. His eyes lingered on his little sister's face for a brief moment before he turned around and left.

"Don't worry, Yuuki. I'll be right back."

When he came down, Kaname found the light-haired man sat casually on the couch.

"Ah, you're finally here. Are you awake? Do you need more sleep?" He asked.

"I've had enough already. Now I just need to talk to you. About… us," Kaname said hesitantly. He sat down beside the man on the coach.

"Good," the man said with an encouraging smile, once again handing out the cup to Kaname. He took it.

"But before that, there are some things I need to know about you. Are you Cross Kaien?" Kaname said.

"Of course I am. I'm a childhood friend of Yuuki's mother, Juuri, though we haven't met for quite a long time. How's she doing?"

"She's doing fine. Is this your school, ?"

Kaien's eyes shone with pride and a huge smile spread over his face.

"Yes, it is. Do you like it?"

Kaname frowned. He did not think that was a proper question in the situation.

"There's only one thing left that I can't understand," Kaname continued, ignored Kaien's frown of disagreement. "Why weren't you home when we came?"

Kaien laughed softly as he answered the boy.

"I was snuggling down under the bedclothes when a teacher came and told me four kids were missing. You see, having a good night sleep is too much of an implausible idea when you have little kids run around causing troubles. Especially that child, Ichijou Takuma."

Kaname showed no signs of recognition as he stared apathetically at Kaien, waiting for him to continue.

"He's a great kid, though somehow I always found him getting into mischief. He's full of the weirdest ideas that no one can ever imagine. Last week, Takuma said summer was too hot to set off fireworks, so he wanted to watch fireworks in the winter. He almost set the dorm on fire then."

Having realized Kaname's silence, the principal paused to ask him:

"Sorry, I wandered off the subject again. Is there anything else you want to know about me?"

"No, actually…" Kaname said, averting his eyes from the older man's intense gaze.

"So this will be my turn," the man said with a gentle smile, "Are you gonna tell me who you are and why Yuuki and you suddenly have the urge to pay a visit to my house?"

"Yes…" Kaname said, hesitantly, "I'm Kuran Kaname, the son of Hiou Shizuka and…"

Kaname gulped. The mere sound of his father's name was enough to disgust him; along with it was his father's cruel laugh echoing in his head. Kaname breathed out.

"Kuran Rido."

"Rido? He's Juuri's cousin, isn't he?"

"Yes, and now he's her husband. They married a year ago, after Yuuki's father passed away."

Kaien's eyes widened in shock, his voice barely a whisper:

"What did you say? Haruka… died?"

Kaname knew Kaien had not contacted with his childhood friend for long, but he did not expect that Kaien did not know about Haruka's death.

"He died of cancer… two years ago."

"I see… I'm very sorry to hear that." Kaien said, his eyes remaining unseeing.

Kaname silently gazed at the man. He lifted his cup to take a sip while still being careful not to make any sudden sound. The warmth that the brown liquid brought gradually spread through his body.

It was so soothing.

"Alright, Kaname. Now can you tell me why you two came here?" Kaien asked; his voice softened. His eyes were filled with so much tenderness when they turned to look at the boy, waiting for him to continue.

This was the moment Kaname feared the most. But he had to face it. There was no way back.

Kaien needed to know.

"It was because of Rido. He's… not so good of a father," Kaname hesitated, avoiding Kaien's intense gaze.

"What did he do to you two?" Kaien asked quietly.

"Normally he just ignores us. But at nights when he got drunk, he hit me," noticing the gloomy look on the other man's face, Kaname added hastily, "It doesn't hurt much; I'm used to that. It's not why we left."

Kaname paused once more. He returned his attention to the small cup in his hand, and just then he realized his hands were trembling.

"At times Rido gets so drunk he doesn't even recognize us. He mistakes Yuuki for Juuri. Yuuki's just a small girl. If I hadn't come in time I don't know what he might've done to her…" Kaname trailed off. He recalled his father's husky voice as he repeated over and over again before the bewildered Yuuki: "Juuri…"

Kaname closed his eyes tightly.

"I understand…" Kaien said soothingly, patting the brown head next to him, "You two may remain here with me."

"Are you sure?" Kaname asked in bewilderment.

"Sure, everything's gonna be just fine. Ah, I assume you didn't tell Juuri about all these, right?"

"Yes, we were in haste and too confused to think about that," answered Kaname.

"So I'll tell her later in the morning. Don't worry, I won't talk about your father. Now come back to sleep, Kaname. You look quite weary still," Kaien said with a reassuring smile, his hand lightly pushing Kaname's head, "Go upstairs. You can sleep in my bedroom."

Kaname stood up, looking at Kaien with wordless gratitude.

"Thank you, sir. I can't tell you how much we appreciate your kindness."

"Nah, it's nothing." Kaien smiled in replied.

Looking at the profile of the small boy, a tender feeling gradually overwhelmed Kaien. He never was a father, but he had helped raise thousands of children in his academy.

"You know… you can stay as long as want," he said gently.

The boy stopped shortly in the middle of the stairs, hesitant, and then answered without looking back at Kaien.

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The mother**

With slow heavy steps, Kaname climbed up the staircase. He was about to enter the main bedroom when he heard a weak, muffled calling his name. Kaname hastily pushed the door to Yuuki's room open, blurting out:

"What's wrong, Yuuki?"

The little girl felt relieved to see a face so familiar, a weak smile managing to come to her lips.

"Where are we, Kaname-niisan?"

"Mr. Cross brought us into his house. Don't worry, we're safe here. He permitted us to stay here however long we want," said Kaname as he pressed his forehead to her burning one, a faint smile crossing his lips, "Now go back to sleep. You're having a fever, you know? How are you feeling?"

"Not so well…" She murmured, wrapping her arms around her brother's neck, "Can you please stay here with me? When I woke up, the first thing I want to see is my brother's face. I was so scared to realize you weren't with me earlier, you know?"

A tinge of sadness evident in her voice, and her arms around him were slightly trembling.

"I will never leave you," Kaname promised as he gently unwrapped Yuuki's arms, "Good night, Yuuki."

A smile so weak crossed the little girl's lips as she lay back down. Kaname gently took her hand in his, adoring how serene his younger sister looked in her sleep, her eyes closed, her mouth opening ever so slightly. How Kaname loved these quiet moments, just staying by his sister's side, relishing in her companionship. Kaname knelt down on the floor, his hands never leaving her as he whispered quietly, knowing his words wouldn't be heard.

"It's alright… for now, at least."

As if under an invisible burden so heavy, Kaname wearily lowered his head to rest on Yuuki's stomach. His eyelids fluttered close as Kaname finally gave himself to the fatigue, welcoming the comforting dark enveloping him.

The dawn was due to come soon.

When the first ray of sunlight filtered through the slats of the door, Kaien entered the guest room, only to find Kaname knelt beside the bed, his head buried in Yuuki's arms. His hand still held firmly Yuuki's.

"You've been very brave today," whispered Kaien as he drape a blanket over the boy, "I hope you'll have pleasant dreams."

When Juuri woke up that morning, she did not feel very well. She suffered from a terrible headache and felt quite dizzy at that moment; but what bothered her most was the strangest feeling like she had forgotten something. The memories of the night before were disjointed pieces spinning in her mind, so blurry and chaotic she was confused. Nonetheless, there was actually one thing she distinctly remembered; it was her husband's face, twisted by anger and madness. Face of a stranger.

When she turned aside, she saw Rido lying on his stomach, the blanket draped carelessly on his back. He was sleeping soundly, his clothes disheveled, shoes still worn. Tangled hair tumbled down over his face; his chest rose and fell lightly with every breath. If she had not known for so sure, she would never believe he was the same man who caused her such terror the previous night.

Juuri sat up on the bed. Her weary eyes looked around, searching for her alarm clock. It was no where to be found. Sighing heavily, Juuri got out of her bed to look for the poor clock. She had to tiptoe carefully to avoid stepping on the broken glass that was scattered around the room. Thanks to the weak light penetrating through the torn curtains, she finally managed to find it in the corner of the room. The glass was broken as any glassware else on the room, but the time could be read without much difficulty. 7:00

So early.

Juuri sighed wearily. She did not sleep very well the night before, but now she was too terrified of the mere idea of sleeping beside her husband, after all he had done. It was a mystery how she ended up with him before.

All along she did not know his true nature. He had been so sweet a cousin, always tender, always caring towards her. Now it was like he was some one else, a perfect stranger that happened to look exactly like her husband.

Deliberately, Juuri opened the door and go upstairs to see her children. She wanted to see them, hold them close and say some words of comfort, though she knew too well no words could ever be enough. However, there was nothing else she could do to console the poor children, to explain the inhumanity of their very own father. She herself could not figure out the reasons there could be for one to be so cruel to his children like that, stepfather or not. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her that made her tremble in fear. What if it was not the first time Rido did that to Yuuki and Kaname?

"Kaname… Are you awake?" Juuri silently asked as she entered his rooms, hesitancy clearly shown in her voice. Kaname was a very light-sleeper; it would not surprise her a bit if she found him wide awake.

Nevertheless, Juuri was shocked.

Trembling uncontrollably, Juuri took a step back, froze in her place when she saw the empty bed. Frantically she searched the room, only to find Kaname's closet opened, his clothes thrown about carelessly. Kaname was never the one to be messy, unless under urgent cases.

"Kaname!" Juuri shouted, dashing to Yuuki's room in frantic, realization finally hit her along with terror. To Juuri's fear, when she flung the door to Yuuki's bedroom open, the room was empty.

It was her fault. She was not able to protect them when they so desperately depended on her. She was so despicable of a mother, who could not even stand up for her own children. She was too weak, and that was precisely why they had to run away.

Juuri stormed out, desperately turned the house up side down to look for Kaname and Yuuki; she went down the basement, ransacked the kitchen, searching everywhere she could think of in the middle of her turmoil. Nevertheless, she could not find them.

"They were gone… Gone…" Juuri whimpered breathlessly, finally coming to accept the terrifying truth. Where could they have gone? Juuri had no relatives other than Rido, nor did the children know any where to refuge to but here. With no one to turn to, how were they feeling right now? Should any thing happen to them…

The thought alone suddenly made Juuri felt light-headed. She had to lean on the wall to support herself, and that was when her eyes caught a picture of her and Rido, his smirk devilish, his eyes remaining cold however, one arm circling her waist possessively. A seething rage built up inside her at the sight of the man who caused all these pains, and who was still sleeping comfortably in his bedroom at this very moment.

Juuri rushed up the stairs, feeling no fatigue after her frantic search as though she was in her twenties. In her mind, an inner voice kept echoing like a mantra, blinded her: _It was all his faults, not hers_.

"Rido…!" Juuri burst out as she flung the door open, and then she froze in incredulity as she saw Rido look up at her with a sullen glare.

"You've got a lot of energy so early in the morning, huh? Get out and let me sleep for a while longer. I'm having a headache," said Rido.

Juuri's eyes widened in shock, her rage boiled all the more inside her. How dare he…?

"You deserve it, you bastard! Because of you Kaname and Yuuki had… Look what you've done to your children! Should any thing happen to them I'll…"

"Wait… Juuri," Rido interrupted; his tone shook in wonder, "What happened?"

"They ran away! Because you were a terrible dad and you hit them and you cursed them and you scared them… I can't believe I'm married to you! All these years I thought you were kind and gentle but I was wrong! You… you're…" Juuri stuttered; she tried to find a word to insult her husband but found none. All coherent thoughts seemed to slip out of her mind, leaving her mad and speechless. And so she stood still by the bed, her fists clenching, her glare fixing upon Rido, disgusted.

Rido tried to grasp what Juuri was saying; the hangover did not make it so easy for him to. Not knowing what to say, he just staring at his wife, quite bewildered.

"You…" Another hopeless attempt to curse Rido failed, and Juuri turned around, running out of the room. She did not know where to run; she just wanted to get away from Rido, as far as she possibly could. That was exactly what her children did, though they were much luckier than she.

"Wait! Juuri!" Rido called her as he jumped out of the bed, desperately trying to catch her, "I'm sorry…!"

Rido caught her easily just when she got to the corridor, his pleas hoarse and urgent, "Don't run…!"

Furiously Juuri escaped from his grasp, but in no time he jumped in front of her, enveloped her in a firm embrace.

"Let me go, Rido…!" She screamed, pushing violently at his chest, but his arms stayed still. Rido's eyes narrowed dangerously at her fruitless attempt and his grip tightened, his tone once again cold.

"No Juuri… I won't let you go..." He whispered quietly, and Juuri froze when she heard a tone of anguish in his voice.

'Rido actually felt hurt,' she thought, a feeling of sympathy evoked inside her. At least, she knew that he was still capable of having normal feelings; maybe deep inside the beast there was a man struggling to be free, the one she used to know when she was small. Juuri quietly wrapped her arms around her husband, stroking his back like she was holding a frightened child.

"…Not ever again!" Rido almost growled those last words, startled his wife, her arms dropped immediately to her sides. However, he then calmed down, his roar turn to a low murmur as he continued, his breath hot against her ears, "I'm sorry about everything, I was so drunk and angry… I didn't remember what terrible things I've done to you. Please, forgive me. I won't do that ever again."

He continued, urgently and desperately, "I love you Juuri. Always have been, always will. I'll do anything it takes to make you forgive me. I do deserve a second chance, don't I?"

Juuri felt her head spin; all thoughts were cleared out of her mind as she stood motionlessly in her husband's arm, his voice raspy against her ear, his embrace so hot and so tight she was breathless. She could not even grasp what Rido was saying; his words went through her mind without leaving any notions in her.

"Please, Juuri… May I deserve a second chance?" Rido repeated, his arms tightened painfully around Juuri, therefore, the only thought Juuri could gather was to escape from his hold. She already felt faint.

"Yes…" Juuri weakly answered, having no idea what she agreed on.

However, that was not the only thing she did not know.

There was another thing that only later did she realize it, a truth so cruel to her, caused by that mere three-letter word.

From the moment she said it, she was trapped, both physically and mentally. Trapped by a man she knew so little despite having lived with him all those years, a man whose love for her so strong it might eventually kill her, a man she used to love, though not as much as she loved his elder brother, as a child.

Nonetheless, she did not know that truth yet. And that was good for her, for had she known it at that moment, she would have felt so miserable.

Therefore, until now Juuri was still doing fine. However, in the end, would she capable of escape from the man who had been haunting her all her life? Or would she be pulled down to the very depths of darkness with him?

That, only time would tell.

**A/N: **Lame ending, right? I do apologize :D I've seriously run out of idea. The chapter got longer than expected and I had to cut a scene out.

At least, I've got a pretty good idea on what's going to happen. Hope it won't be too disappointing to you


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Yet nothing had changed**

Sitting alone in his study, Kaien wearily leaned onto the back of his armchair, his hand rubbing the bridge of his nose, a habit he absent-mindedly had when he was distressed. Lifting his gaze from the window, his eyes wandered to his cellphone on the table and hesitantly lingered there. He had to tell Juuri about the missing of her children, Kaien knew it, but something had stopped him from grabbing the phone and telling her immediately. That something, he thought, might be the worry that Juuri had not woken up yet, or that… he still could not face her after four years apart.

Kaien loved Juuri… He loved her carefree laughters, her stubborn and most of the time reckless conducts, her angry yet childish glares she often gave at his sarcastic remarks. She was so much like fire, a dancing flame that was so vigorous, so bright it hurt him just to look at her. That vivid girl was out of his reach, and as Kaien thought years ago, she could belong to no one. Juuri was so tough she had to depend on no one, and was so blithe a girl Kaien never thought she could actually be in love. She considered boys as her playfellows, including him, and unlike most girls, never felt any boys' smile charming or cute. And so after their childhood together, Kaien never had any hope that some day, Juuri would look at him any differently, or that her feeling might changed to anything more mature than friendship. He was contented to be with her, to be her best friend and share their youth together. That time, Kaien recalled, was the most beautiful period of his life.

However, childhood never meant to last forever. On Juuri's sixteen birthday, Kaien had first met Haruka. It was the first time he actually saw Juuri as a teenaged girl, and not the noisy little girl he always thought her to be. From afar, Kaien could see a tinge of red cover her cheeks as she talked, her glowing eyes at Haruka's every remarks, and the way her hands intertwined with Haruka's... That was when he found something so unreachable, something that was taken away forever, and after that, things could never be the same to him.

'I was such a coward...' Kaien thought bitterly at the memory, 'I can't believe all I could do was join the military and run away from her.'

Sighing heavily, Kaien finally reached his hand out for the cellphone. He pressed the number and held it to his ear, all the time did not realize he was holding his breath. After a long silence, a feminine voice sounded, making Kaien almost jump despite the sad and quiet tone evident in it.

"Hello, I'm Juuri."

* * *

Juuri could not help a smile gracing on her lips as she laid down the phone. Her children were alright! She believed it was Kaname's idea to run away, but she was thankful however that he chose a reliable friend of hers for shelter. 'I must come see them right away,' thought Juuri fervently, but she sighed inwardly soon after looking at the pile of paper in front of her, 'Okay... Maybe after I finish work, though God knows how long this is gonna take.'

Leaning further on the back of her chair, Juuri wearily looked out at the window. It was cold outside; the icy breeze was brushing through the branches, twirling them playfully. And it was snowing too, she noticed, as the snowflakes were dripping down to earth. How beautiful they all were, so white and pure and fragile, just one touch and they would be gone forever. So beautiful.

A tinge of sadness crept into Juuri's heart at the magnificent sight before her. The snowflakes indeed are white and pure. However, it was only before they met the earth and faced the cruel reality of life. People tainted them, taking away their innocence and purity.

Tearing her eyes off the window, Juuri spun around her chair to resume working. If only the snowflakes never had to fell down. If only they could stay free and uncontaminated forever.

* * *

When Kaname finally woke up, the sun had risen high in the sky. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he straightened up, making the blanket fell off his shoulders. The boy was startled at the fall of said object, but quickly dismissed his confusion, Kaname lifted it to drape over his little sister. Worriedly the boy stood up, pressed his hand on Yuuki's forehead. He held his breath as his fingertips touched the girl's forehead, so carefully it seemed as if he could just break her with just one single touch. Her condition seemed much worse than before.

Kaname moved to rearrange her pillow for more comfort, smoothed the crinkled sheet around the little girl, and then just watched lovingly at her sleeping form. The girl was still deep in her oblivion, only stirred slightly when Kaname leaned down to whisper in her ears, his lips shook while forming the words.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back."

When Kaname got down the stairs, he found Kaien standing in the kitchen, numerous packs of medicine surrounding him, and on the stove, something mysterious was boiling violently in a steaming pot.

"Headmaster, what're you doing?" Kaname asked in shock, and he dashed urgently toward the stove to turn it off.

"Just something for the poor girl, a secret recipe passed down from many Cross' generations to cure the cold instantly," said the man proudly as he walked towards Kaname. The man soon then opened the pot, reveal a sticky brownish substance inside. A strange herbal smell leaked out, making Kaname feel dizzy. He turned away, both terrified and disgust.

"It's just perfect," he said before took a spoonful in his mouth, "If you just ignore the taste, you'll see how miraculously it works."

Without any further arguments, Kaname lifted the pot with disgust, and mercilessly pour all the content down the sink.

"Kaname! What're you doing?!" The man cried out, struggle to take his pot back, "My secret medicine!"

"I'm protecting Yuuki from a real life threat," Kaname replied coldly as he washed the pot clean, until no traces of the sticky substance left, "You should be worried about your own well-being, headmaster. I'm afraid a taste of it could kill; it's amazing enough that you're still here babbling."

"There's no doubt about my recipe,it was tested a million times before on me myself. The result was miraculous!" Kaien protested indignantly.

"The only thing miraculous here is how your body works, to be alive after absorbing this," the boy retorted with a smirk.

"I'm not arguing with you kid any longer," Kaien crossed his arms, his head holding high in a childish attempt to look dignified, "So what're you going to do with Yuuki?"

"You've got medicine here, why not using them? God, there must be hundreds types of medicine here! How many people are sick here, may I ask?"

"I took all of these from the school's medical room," Kaien answered a bit uneasily, "But I'm still confused. What type should I choose? I'm not sure if she could drink the tablets, since many kids at my school have problem swallowing them, and if she is choked it will be dangerous. The liquid medicine seemed like a better choice, but I'm not sure if those can be used for children or it may have any bad side effects like making her sleepy or..."

Kaname eventually got tired of all the fuss this idiot was making. He waved his hand impatiently, interrupting with an exhausted sigh:

"Alright, let me choose. She can take this," Kaname said, picking up a pack from the mess, "I saw Juuri gave her one of these before when she had a cold. You need not come up with any other experiment on any secret recipe. However, there's a favor I need to ask of you."

"Sure, Kaname," Kaien answered immediately, "Feel free to ask me for anything you need."

"We haven't eaten anything since last night's dinner… Could you make something for us? For me anything is fine, but Yuuki needs something soft and warm…"

"Sure, I will. Do you want bread? I've some ready here," Kaien said with a radiant smile as he putting on his blue apron with a huge tie at the front – his favorite one.

Warmed up at the older's man cheerful attitude, Kaname answered heartily, "Thank you."

Sitting down at the table, Kaname soon devoured the bread hungrily. Before then he did not even realize he was starving.

Watching the boy with loving eyes, Kaien told him with a smile.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you. I told your mother, Juuri, about you two being here."

"Thank you so much, headmaster. Did she say anything? Was she worry or… mad?"

"Yeah," Kaien said, a dreamy look appearing on his face, "She was almost yelling at me, as if I kidnapped her children or something. She seemed to be very worry about you two. She said she would try to visit us as soon as she finished work."

"Yeah…" was the boy's quiet reply.

Kaien stayed silent. His mind drifted off to a memory from a distant past about a certain little girl, her curly brown hair glittering in the sunlight as a dazzling smile grew on her lips.

_"Hey, Kaien!"_

A faint smile crossed his lips, and he closed his eyes, letting himself swept away be the fervent reminiscence of his most beloved one.

'Hello, Juuri.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Fathers**

When Kaname went upstairs to see Yuuki, he found her still sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware of all the tumult caused by the chairman that was going on downstairs. Kaname smiled bitterly at the thought. From the moment their eyes met, Kaname had had a feeling that Kaien was someone he could rely on, and though the idiot managed to cause such ruckus, he still knew that Kaien was kindhearted and would help them getting through the hard times. However, despite his trust on Juuri's old friend, despite his earnestness to be of help, Kaname knew they could not rely on him forever.

Sitting by his little sister's side, Kaname laid his hand on her forehead. He knew that the fever could not go away in such a short time, but he could not help trying. It's getting worse, Kaname sighed and leaned back on the bed frame. Yuuki was sick, and they could not go home, instead sheltered at a stranger's house. All that happened in what felt like a blink of an eye made the boy feel so lost and confused he did not even know what to do. However kind Kaien was to them, Kaname knew the peace was just temporary, and soon enough they would have to come back to the hands of that devil called their father. And when that happened, what would become of them two? The boy shivered at the mere thought.

If there was some way to convince Juuri into divorce... they would be set free, but Kaname knew Rido would never agree. To that devil of a man, Juuri was the only one he ever loved. Not his very own son nor his wife, nor any one else in the world. And so Rido would never leave Juuri, even if she hated him or even if she tried to cast him away. Kaname and Yuuki could not leave Juuri either, and they would be tortured by Rido until they grew old enough to break free.

If only Kaname was older... He would definitely bring Yuuki away from his father and protect her from him. If only they could stay at Kaien's place forever, so she would never be threatened by that demon again.

A sad smile flickered across the boy's lips as a thought came across his mind. If only Rido never existed, then...

"Kaname? Why didn't you wake Yuuki up? I cooked something for her," Kaien gently said while striding casually through the doorway, a smoking bowl in his hands.

"I don't want to interrupt her-"

"Kaname?" A weak voice called him as Yuuki slowly opened her eyes, the usual light in her eyes faltering in weariness. Startled, Kaname turned to look at her.

"You're awake? How are you feeling?"

"Not quite well," she murmured, grabbing her brother's hand to place it on her cheeks, a light blush coloring them in the act,"And I'm starving, Kaname-niisan."

None too surprisingly, the chairman immediately jumped in their conversation.

"Perfect! Then you will love my soup! It's an amazing mixture of the traditional recipe and some secret ingredients from my own experience! The taste-"

"I've told you before, chairman," Kaname interrupted with a heavy sigh, completely forgot all the nice impressions he had got when first met Kaien and all his gratitude before to their savior, "Please don't experiment anything. Throwing anything in the pot and boiling it up can't, in any way, be called cooking."

"Nah, don't you worry. My cooking is just perfect- Oh, where's my manner? Long time no see, Yuuki-chan. You might not remember me but I used to be the one to change your diapers and be your play horse when you were no bigger than the pillow you're lying on. I'm Kaien Cross, your humble servant. Any wish of yours shall be my command, my princess."

"Thank you, mister Cross," Yuuki giggled, a light blush dusted her cheeks, "Niisan told me we were granted the honor to be your guest for quite a while. I'm really sorry for any inconveniences we might cause."

"It's no great deal, my majesty. Oh, what's that smell?" Kaien sniffed and turned around cautiously, trying to find out what had made the burning smell wafting in the air. Then recognition hit him, and Kaien ran out of the room in panic, all the while yelling desperately, "My cake! I'm coming to save you!"

When the troublemaker had gone, Kaname brought the soup to the bed for his little sister. The girl feebly tried to sit up with great difficulty, and then looked at her brother with gratitude when he circled his arm from behind her to support her. Handed the soup, Yuuki looked at it with a small smile.

"I think it definitely looks delicious, niisan."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Kaname, fearfully,"Let me try it first."

"It's okay," Yuuki said reassuringly, and brought a spoonful to her mouth.

"Yuuki..." The boy blurted out in surprise, then continued with much worry evident in his tone, "How's the taste?"

"It's good," Yuuki answered, "It tastes a little bit weird..." Realizing the worry look in her brother's eyes, Yuuki's smile widened, and in her eyes the usually cheerful light had returned, "But it's really good."

"Good," Kaname breathed out in relief. He gazed deep into Yuuki's eyes, trying to find any traces of lying, "That creepy liquid does taste goo, seriously?"

"Surprisingly it does," the girl laughed out, though her laugh came out a bit hoarsely due to the flu, "But that taste.."

"What?" Concerned, Kaname asked.

"It's nothing, it's just..." A confused smile grew on her lips as the light in her eyes faltered, dim and distant now, "It tastes really like the soup father used to make for me... I mean, my late father."

Seeing the look of sorrow in Kaname's eyes, she hastily added, "It's nothing, Kaname, I'm alright. I'm eating now. Ah that reminds me, have you eaten anything yet? Do you want to eat the soup with me?"

"No..." Kaname said quietly as he reached out to embrace his sister, pressing her close to himself, feeling her skin burning against his, "Just continue eating, Yuuki. Don't be bothered with me."


End file.
